Geneva, Switzerland. Iran and the United States will hold a new round of talks in Geneva on Thursday aimed at addressing their longstanding nuclear dispute as the U.S. builds up military forces in the Middle East.
Indirect talks mediated by Oman
The two countries renewed negotiations this month to address a decades-long standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program, which Washington, other Western states and Israel believe is aimed at building nuclear arms. Tehran denies this.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are expected to attend the indirect talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, a U.S. official told Reuters. The discussions follow talks held in Geneva last week and will be mediated by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
On Wednesday evening, Araqchi and Albusaidi discussed proposals Iran plans to present to reach an agreement, according to a statement posted on X by Oman’s foreign ministry. The statement said Albusaidi is scheduled to meet the U.S. negotiating team on Thursday morning to convey Iran’s views and hear those of the United States.
Trump and Vance reiterate position on Iran’s nuclear program
Trump referred to the possibility of an attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, saying he preferred diplomacy but would not allow Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.
On Wednesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance echoed Trump’s position in an interview on Fox News, saying Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and that preventing it would be the ultimate military objective if Trump chose that route.
Military buildup and deadline warning
The United States has been assembling what is described as its largest military deployments in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, raising concerns about a wider regional conflict.
In June last year, the United States joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has threatened to retaliate if attacked again.
Trump said on February 19 that Iran must make a deal in 10 to 15 days, warning that otherwise “really bad things” would happen.
What do you think the Geneva talks could achieve in resolving the nuclear dispute?